H&M Foundation Launches New Global Change Award to Drive Net-Zero Innovation in the Textile Industry by 2050
Today, the H&M Foundation unveiled its new mission to drive climate solutions in the textile industry, with the Global Change Award (GCA) at the forefront. The foundation aims to support the industry in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by half every decade until 2050, while ensuring a fair and just transition for both people and the planet.
The textile industry needs all hands-on deck if we are going to meet our climate goals by 2050, and we must ensure this transition is fair for everyone. I really believe that innovation is key to decarbonising the industry, and that the Global Change Award can play a role in identifying and growing future changemakers whose ideas can have a transformative impact if given the right support.
Karl-Johan Persson, Board Member of the H&M Foundation
The textile industry has many innovation challenges and initiatives. However, the H&M Foundation identified a gap in support for innovations at idea stage, which are often seen as too risky for traditional investors and businesses. As a philanthropic organisation, H&M Foundation is more tolerant to risk and can fund and support these high-potential changemakers before they’re ready for commercial backing.
In a departure from an open application system, GCA will now operate a nomination-based process, involving a variety of actors like industry experts, research institutes, brands, garment suppliers, innovators, and non-profits. This change aims to discover changemakers who might otherwise be overlooked and to broaden the impact of the GCA.
The GCA is now seeking innovative ideas that address high-emission areas in the textile value chain, focusing on sustainable materials, production, consumption, and novel ideas (“wildcards”). With a combined grant of €8 million since 2015, the GCA will continue awarding 10 winners annually, with each receiving €200,000. Key changes include a nomination-based process to discover early-stage innovations that often face barriers to commercial investment.
Alongside financial support, winners will join a year long Changemaker Programme, collaborating with experts from Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. This programme aims to ensure holistic, impactful innovations that balance environmental and social goals. The nomination process for GCA 2025 opens today, and winners will be announced in April 2025.
While the industry is hungry for innovation, we see that a holistic perspective to decarbonisation is often lacking, and the critical early stages of an innovator’s journey overlooked. The Global Change Award is now aiming to back a wider range of changemakers with early-stage innovations that can help accelerate the textile industry’s path to net-zero and equip them to build solutions that benefit both people and the planet – this is where we as a philanthropy can make a real difference.
Annie Lindmark, the newly appointed Programme Director for Innovation at the H&M Foundation
About The H&M Foundation
The H&M Foundation is a nonprofit organization funded by the Persson family, founders and majority owners of the H&M Group. Its mission is to support the textile industry’s efforts to halve greenhouse gas emissions every decade, leading to net-zero emissions by 2050. The Foundation emphasizes a just and fair transition for both people and the planet, focusing its philanthropic efforts on high-emission areas within the textile value chain where it can make the most impact.
The Global Change Award (GCA) is a key initiative of the H&M Foundation, created to accelerate innovation that supports decarbonization in the textile industry. Each year, the GCA awards a total of €2 million to ten innovators, with each winner receiving €200,000. In addition to the financial grant, winners participate in a yearlong Changemaker Programme, which offers mentorship, collaboration opportunities, and access to industry leaders. Strategic partners, including Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, help equip winners with the skills and knowledge to ensure their solutions benefit both people and the planet. The GCA promotes a holistic approach to innovation, aiming to spark industry-wide transformation towards sustainability and social inclusion.
For more information, visit hmfoundation.com or explore the Global Change Award at hmfoundation.com/gca.
